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Prof Jackie
Engl 113A
Jules Cailliau
November 4, 2015
Minimum Legal Drinking Age Conversation
In the first article I read they dont really tell when they are talking
about a pro or a con, but you can deduct it from the context. In the
beginning of the article they talk about the history of alcohol in America.
Every state could make its own decision about the minimum legal drinking
age. In 1984 America put into the law that the minimum legal drinking age
will be 21 years old. The next statement that annoys people is that you are
an adult at the age of 18. This means that you can apply for a credit card,
legally marry without parental consent, divorce, rent and purchase, sign a
binding contract, vote, serve on a jury and serve in the military. If charged
with a crime, the 18-year-old is no longer tried in juvenile court; he's tried
as an adult. In essence, an 18, 19 and 20-year-old can do everything a 21year-old can do, except drink alcohol. So, in fact they dont get all the
same rights and privileges like 21-year-old adults. A solution for this is to
bring the adulthood age up to 21 years old. This article also tells us that a
lot of people between 18-21 years old drink alcohol, which is actually
illegal for them. Those who drink before 21 do it mostly at college parties
or with friends, and they tend to drink more than they would if it was legal
for them. A lot of them want to take advantage of this opportunity to have
an alcoholic drink. Another salutation they make is to introduce an alcohol
license. You would need to take a test about knowing what alcohol does to

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the human body and to your brains, also what can happen when you drink.
If you pass this test you can drink legally. If you get arrested for any
alcohol related offenses you lose your license and you need to wait until
youre 21 years old. Something bad about the minimum legal drinking age
is that a lot of parents allow their children to drink before they are 21.
They can drink at home or they close their eyes when their child returns
home drunk from a college party. I think there are a lot of different
solutions that would work. In my eyes, they definitely need to change the
age 21. For example, they can have a difference of age between soft
alcohol drinks and liquors (like in Belgium).
The second article I read starts with some Did you know facts.
Under this you find 14 reasons why someone is for lowering drinking age
and 14 reasons why someone is against lowering drinking age. I give you
some examples of the reason in the following screenplay. Prosper and
Conner meet each other in McDonalds. They are going to argue about the
statement: Lowering the legal drinking age. After they got there order that
site down and start talking:
Prosper:

Lets have it about the statement about lowering the legal

drinking age.

Conner:

Ok, do you want to start?

Prosper:

Ill win this conversation no matter what, so you can start if you
want to.

Conner:

Well see about that at the end; Ill start. In the US the minimum
legal drinking age is 21, this rule is made by the US district

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court. So, you want to break this rule?
Prosper:

Look, you are an adult when youre 18 years old. This means
that you have the right to make your own decisions. You can do
whatever you want when youre 18 years old. You have all the
rights and privileges, except drinking alcohol. So actually, you
dont have all the rights to make your own decisions until your
21. Overall you can do two things with this fact. Lower the
minimum legal drinking age or bring the adulthood age to 21,
which is not a good idea in my opinion.

Conner:

If you want to bring the minimum legal drinking age to 18,

young people will start drinking more in pubs and nightclubs.
There will be a bigger assortment, which can bring a lot of
problems with them. There will be more fights in clubs or pubs,
people will drive after drinking, and there will be noise
disturbances around the clubs and pubs.

Prosper:

But this is a good thing for the economy. A lot of people would
be able to have a drink in a bar. For example, I like to have a
glass of wine with my steak. Before I was 21, I couldnt do it so I
had to get water. Also, they can start promoting taxi companies
more or other car services such as Uber. Its a safe way to get
home and this is also good for the economy.

Conner:

But the fact is that it is not a right, you just cant drink when
youre not 21.

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Prosper:

The thing you just said doesnt make any sense about the
economic situation that would be so much better.

Connor starts getting mad and takes a bite of his hamburger. He is quiet
for some moments because he doesnt know what to say. After a few
seconds he thinks of an argument.

Connor:

You know that the minimum legal drinking age at the age of 21
reduces traffic accidents and fatalities.

Prosper:

Yes, but traffic accidents and facilities are most common among
newly legal drinkers, regardless of the minimum legal drinking
age. Which means that the ones who can drink alcohol, they

Connor:

still use the car because they are used to going out by car.
You just dont understand the point that the minimum legal
drinking age is 21!

Conner is really upset now because he doesnt have anything to say back
to Prospers arguments. He throws his burger at Prosper and runs out of
the restaurant. Prosper starts laughing because he knows he won the
battle. Overall its still Conner who is the strongest guy in this conversation
because the minimum legal drinking age is still 21(and I dont see it
changing in the near future.)

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Work Cited
Archer, Dale M.D. The Pros and Cons Of Drinking At 18. Reading
Between the (Head)Lines. Web. 3 Nov 2015.
Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 to a Younger Age?
Minimum Legal Drinking Age. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.